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Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Sections 302, 449, 376, 394 — Appeal against High Court’s upholding of conviction and sentence — Case based on circumstantial evidence — Absence of direct evidence connecting appellant to offense — Falsely implicated — Prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt — No scientific evidence linking appellant — Important witnesses not associated in investigation or produced in court — Appeal allowed, conviction and sentence set aside. Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — Section 138 — Dishonour of cheque — Quashing of proceedings — Cheques issued as security and not for consideration — Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) clearly stated cheques were for security purposes to show banks and not for deposit — Complainant failed to read the complete terms of MOU in isolation and misinterpreted it to claim cheques were converted into debt — Court empowered to consider unimpeachable documents at pre-trial stage to prevent injustice — Complaints under Section 138 NI Act liable to be quashed. Insurance Law — Fire Insurance — Accidental Fire — Cause of fire is immaterial if the insured is not the instigator and there is no fraud. The objective of fire insurance is to indemnify the insured against loss by fire. Tender Conditions — Interpretation — Ambiguity — The terms of a tender must be clear and unambiguous — If a tendering authority intends for a specific document to be issued by a particular authority, it must be clearly stated in the tender conditions — Failure to do so may lead to rejection of the bid being deemed arbitrary and dehors the tender terms. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) — Environmental Protection — Monitoring Committee — Powers and Scope — A PIL was filed concerning environmental issues in Delhi, leading to the appointment of a Monitoring Committee. The Supreme Court clarified that the committee was appointed to prevent misuse of residential premises for commercial purposes and not to interfere with residential premises used as such. Their power was limited to making suggestions to a Special Task Force regarding encroachments on public land, not to summarily seal premises.

Remand— Only when a charge sheet is not filed and investigation is kept pending, benefit of proviso appended to Sub-section (2) of Section 167 of the Code would be available to an offender; once, however, a charge sheet is filed, the said right ceases. Such a right does not revive only because a further investigation remains pending within the meaning of Sub-section (8) of Section 173 of the Code. Investigation–Further investigation can be carried on despite filing of a police report, in terms of Section 173(8) Cr.P.C.

    2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3348 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Criminal Appeal No.…

Sanction—The order granting sanction must be demonstrative of the fact that there had been proper application of mind on the part of the sanctioning authority. Sanction—Only because an order of sanction contains certain irregularities, the court would not set aside an order of conviction.

  2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3342 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Criminal Appeal No. 766…

Rape on minor—Punishment–It must depend upon the conduct of the accused, the state and age of the sexually assaulted female and the gravity of the criminal act. Rape on minor—Sentence less than–Minimum punishment of 10 years—Recourse to the proviso can be had only for “special and adequate reasons” and not in a casual manner.

2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3337 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice P.P. Naolekar Criminal Appeal No. 782 of 2001…

Murder–Circumstantial Evidence–It is not an inflexible rule that the identification of the body, cause of death and recovery of weapon with which the injury may have been inflicted on the deceased are not established, it would result in acquittal provided the charges against the accused otherwise can be established on the basis of the other reliable and trustworthy evidence.

  2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3327 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice R.V. Raveendaran The Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.Sudershan Reddy Criminal Appeal No. 101 of…

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